Monday, August 12, 2019

Mahathirism has taken over Pakatan Harapan

Shortly after Pakatan Harapan took over the federal government, several PH leaders came out to say that Dr M has changed. That he is more consultative and doesn't do things unilaterally.

I have also pointed out that because Bersatu has much fewer MPs than PKR and DAP, it would be impossible for Dr M to have everything his way.

Well, slightly more than a year later we are seeing that Dr M is indeed doing things unilaterally. I was not wrong in talking about the numbers when it came to PH component parties but I didn't anticipate how timid the PH leaders would be.

Introducing khat into the BM syllabus, renewing Lynas' operating licence, having a 3rd national car -- do any of these sound like PH policies? No, they sound like Dr M policies. Yet, the majority of PH leaders remain silent on these matters.

Everyone of them is walking on eggshells, all afraid of upsetting Dr M. Their strategy it seems to be to wait out the two (or three) years that Dr M's supposed to be in power for. After that, when he is out of the scene, they can start to introduce the reforms promised and do the things they promised to do. That's the thinking anyway.

It's a pretty flawed way of thinking. The more they refuse to confront Dr M about his unilateral tendencies, the bolder he gets. At first, he might have thought he needed to care about what PKR or DAP thought about certain policies, especially controversial ones. Now, it doesn't look like he does anymore. And it will only get worse unless they step up and start opposing some of these ideas which are antithetical to what PH stands for.

These other component parties -- PKR, DAP, Amanah and Warisan -- need to let Dr M know that the support they give to him, which allows him to be the PM, can be taken away.

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